Werdum will challenge Nogueira in the
UFC on Fuel TV 10 headliner this Saturday at the Paulo Sarasate
Gymnasium in Fortaleza, Brazil, the two Brazilian heavyweights
having completed their responsibilities as opposing coaches on
Season 2 of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil.”

A two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World
Championships gold medalist, Werdum finds himself on the cusp of
title contention in the heavyweight division. The 35-year-old has
rattled off five wins in his last six outings -- a run of sustained
success that includes his historic upset of Russian icon Fedor
Emelianenko and victories over Antonio
Silva and Roy Nelson.
Nogueira, meanwhile, remains one of the most beloved figures in the
sport. The former Pride champion returned from a horrific arm
injury in October to submit Dave Herman
at UFC 153.

The UFC on Fuel TV 10 “Werdum vs. Nogueira” lineup provides plenty
of water cooler fodder. We discuss some of it here:

Whitman: Nogueira and Werdum are undoubtedly fine
headliners for a Brazilian audience, but do you think this matchup
will entice North American viewers to tune in to Fuel
TV?
Knapp: As we know, the MMA television audience can be a finicky,
hard-to-please bunch, but in light of Nogueira’s global popularity,
I expect this event to do just fine in terms of ratings. Plus,
there is plenty at stake in the heavyweight division, especially
for Werdum. He could be a win or two shy of challenging for the
title. Those factors should do enough to drive viewership to the
UFC’s liking.

Whitman: Regarding the main event, how do you think this
rematch will go? When these men first met, Werdum was essentially a
straight jiu-jitsu fighter and the far less experienced competitor.
In the six years that followed, “Vai Cavalo” has made great strides
in his standup technique. Will this development be the fight’s
deciding factor?
Knapp: I think this is clearly an uphill battle for Nogueira, who
has lost a lot of the durability that made him so revered. As you
pointed out, Werdum’s standup has improved immensely since the last
time the two Brazilians fought. I do believe this will be the
deciding factor in this rematch.

Whitman: On the flip side, Nogueira has put a ton of miles
on his body over nearly 14 years of professional fighting, during
which he felt the wrath of men like Fedor
Emelianenko, Mirko
Filipovic, Cain
Velasquez and Frank Mir. From
where you are sitting, how close do you reckon “Minotauro” is from
retirement?
Knapp: No one, outside of Nogueira himself, knows the answer to
that question. This could be his last fight, or he could have 10
more. Considering the wonderful career he has enjoyed, one would
hope he would not overstay his welcome in a sport that has proven
quite unforgiving to those who have not walked away when the time
was right. Still, he has won two of his last three fights and was
on the verge of winning the other before aggression got the best of
him against Frank Mir. Your
guess is as good as mine.

Whitman: Once a straight killer, Thiago
Silva has simply not looked right in his last several fights.
In my opinion, it really seems like the back problems are still
plaguing him, significantly hindering his movement in the cage. I
hope Silva surprises me and proves me wrong, but I think his best
days are behind him. Do you agree?
Knapp: Back injuries are no joke. I speak from personal experience
on this one. Because of two no-contests, Silva has not posted an
official victory in nearly four years. His bout with Rafael
Cavalcante should tell us a lot about his future, but
considering his injury history and the fact that he has received
post-fight penalties in two of his last three appearances, I am not
particularly hopeful about his returning to a place of prominence
in the UFC.

File
Photo

Silva remains a question mark.

Whitman: The fact that Silva is facing perennial
violence-maker Cavalcante only makes me more confident in my
position, though I am still on the fence about “Feijao’s” future as
a UFC light heavyweight, especially given his positive steroid test
following his final Strikeforce appearance against Mike Kyle. How
do you see Cavalcante’s UFC run panning out?
Knapp: Cavalcante has the talent and pedigree to become a real
factor in the Octagon, provided he can stay healthy, shore up his
gas tank and steer clear of trouble. Remember, his only loss in the
last four years was to Dan
Henderson.

Whitman: Jason High is
a serious veteran talent who seems to be flying under the radar
ahead of his clash with Erick Silva.
What are the odds that “The Kansas City Bandit” can throw more
water on the flame of the Brazilian prospect and hand him his
second straight loss?
Knapp: It all depends on matchups for High, and this looks like a
bad one. I would be far more hopeful for him had Silva not been
exposed by Jon Fitch in
his last outing. That experience likely opened the young
Brazilian’s eyes and forced him to close the holes a fighter like
High would seek to seize upon. High will need to push the pace and
keep Silva grounded and contained in order to give himself a shot.
Otherwise, I see Silva finishing it with punches in the first or
second round.

Whitman: Rafael Assuncao has not lost since dropping to
bantamweight, where he is currently ranked seventh by Sherdog.com
after besting Mike Easton
in December. Is a title shot in Assuncao’s future if he can get by
Vaughan
Lee?
Knapp: I doubt it, but it is not outside the realm of possibility.
I like Assuncao a lot, but his encounters with Urijah Faber
and Erik
Koch give me pause, even though they were contested at 145
pounds. I would not favor him against any of the six fighters
currently ranked ahead of him: Renan Barao,
Faber, Michael
McDonald, Eddie
Wineland, Brad
Pickett and Scott
Jorgensen. I see him more in the seven-to-10 mold as a
bantamweight. He can scratch out a good living there, even if he
never challenges for the gold.